I plan on moving to another country in the second half of 2025. I heard it's cheaper to buy an unlocked phone from your country and get a sims card when you get to the country you are moving to. How long can a phone stay not activated? I plan on buying the unlock phone a week before I move.
What country are you planning on going to? In Europe, they use GSM not CDMA. Most newer phones work just fine there so if you have a newer Samsung or iPhone just unlock it and you will be good to go. I have iPhone XR and it worked just fine. I lived in Paris for 4 years. I believe Middle East is also GSM but I haven't been back over there in 15 years.
@Gonzolio I plan on moving to South Korea
Verizon does not use CDMA anymore. Verizon CDMA network was the 2G and 3g network that shut down at the end of 2022.
Verizon, just like AT&T and T-Mobile is now an LTE and 5G network.
You can buy unlocked phones from Amazon probably with less cost and hassel.
@Spike48 ok I'll look into it.
@Dreamer92 it's your money but seems to me it would be better if you bought a phone locally. If there's something wrong with the phone it's easier to return it. I've seen several threads recently where people purchased "unlocked" phones only to find out they were still locked to a network or worse, blacklisted. One person even mentioned they had bought such a phone through Amazon (presumably through one of the many 3rd party sellers there, as I certainly hope Amazon isn't that shady).
@SynthpopAddict hopefully Amazon doesn't do me dirty cause it's cheaper for me to buy an unlocked phone from there. Buying one locally when I move isn't an option because I'd need a phone for work and I'm going to be spending most of my money on the move. If I'm low on money there I can ask my mom or dad to wire me money because they are supportive of my dream. So I have to watch how much I spend when I get there.
@Dreamer92 wish you the best of luck with your travels. Would strongly recommend that you buy the phone directly through Amazon (check the shopping cart to make sure it is not being shipped from some 3rd party seller who happens to be using Amazon as there are a zillion such storefronts there). I've shopped on Amazon for years and years and they do have pretty good CS; only ever had 2 bad experiences but it would be a serious pain to try to make a return from out of the country.
You'd also want to check out the specs for the phone to make sure it will work overseas because mobile networks could very well be different elsewhere. This is going to require some looking around on the internet elsewhere to figure out what type of wireless technology is used in the other country and what bands the phone you're wanting to buy will support.
@SynthpopAddict thank you I'll look into. I did find a phone that can be used in another country.
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